Mitch McConnell just took sides in this Republican primary

Washington Examiner ^ | June 6, 2014 | 2:15 pm | Rebecca Berg

[Hoodat]

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is taking sides in the Mississippi Senate primary run-off, stepping out to help raise money for Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., against his Tea Party challenger, Chris McDaniel.

McConnell will host a "run-off reception" benefiting Cochran, a six-term incumbent, on the evening of June 10 at the National Republican Senatorial Committee in Washington.

In an email to party donors Friday, obtained by the Washington Examiner, McConnell warned that the outcome of the contest "will have a very real impact on our fight for the Majority," even though Mississippi is considered a Republican stronghold.

"Our friend Thad is in a battle in the coming weeks that will have a very real impact on our fight for the Majority," McConnell wrote. "You have helped all of us in the past, and we need your help for him now."

"It is critical that he has financial resources now, and we are going to make sure he has them," McConnell continued. "... We have been in this situation before and all of us know well from experience, this is no time to sit on the sidelines."

Indeed, McConnell recently trounced a Tea Party challenger, Matt Bevin, on his own turf in Kentucky during a primary race last month, spending millions of dollars in the process.

But Cochran's situation is unique among Senate incumbents this year. Because Cochran fell short of 50 percent in the initial primary vote last week, the race with McDaniel will head to a run-off -- . . .

[fortheDeclaration]

Red meat for the Tea Party voters in Miss.

Won't save Cochran.

[Finny]

Holy cow, Johnny, you sure know how to cut to the chase.

"The objective is to win the senate."
That's your objective. Mine is to destroy liberal republicans, so that if they do regain the Senate, they govern in a conservative manner.

It doesn't get any plainer than that.

[so_real]

Writing in the name, or voting 3rd party even knowing the candidate will lose, not only registers soundly as a potential Republican vote gone south and deprives a liberal of a vote, but it REDUCES the mandate of whichever liberal, the Republican or the Democrat, wins.

Good points, Finny. I agree. When playing the moves ahead, writing in "Matt Bevin" does appear to provide the greatest advantage moving forward.

[Hoodat]

I'm still mad about the Virginia governor's race. The Virginia GOP solicited money from one of my relatives in the Commonwealth who really couldn't afford to give. But she knew the race for Governor was crucial for keeping ObamaCare's Medicaid expansion out of the Commonwealth, so she stroked a check and mailed it in.

It broke her heart later to learn that her money was sent to Chris Christie instead while the GOP abandoned Ken Cuccinelli. And it hurt even worse to see the state GOP stand idly by while the Democrats stole the AG race.

I will never give money to any political party. If I like a candidate, I will donate to that candidate directly.

[eyedigress]

If Mitch wants this war he can have it. I will support McDaniel.

Mitch is showing his Obama stripes for all to see.

[DoodleDawg]

Mitch McConnell is worried that he would not have McDaniel’s vote for Leader (and, IMHO, he should be worried about that—particularly after this latest shot). And the duplicitous Mitch KNOWS that he would have the vote of the PUPPET Cochran—for anything he wants.

I doubt he's that worried. He knows that all he needs are 50 percent of the Republican senators plus 1. There are enough GOPe votes for that. Those that might be tempted to vote against him will fear the backlash. If McDaniel voted against McConnell for leader he'd be one of only two or three that do.

[Jeff Head]

Thanks...I do not know how I forgot him.

[bandleader]

This bunch is like the cigarette butt that you keep stomping on but Won’t go out!!!!!!!!!!

[deport]

Don’t forget this very important one:

155,040 - Mississippi Primary voters.

[grania]

We don't win the Senate if McConnell is needed to make the majority. If McConnell is sent packing it sends a strong message to all the other backstabbing entrenched DC crowd. It's way out of line for him in his leadership role to take sides in the run off.

We'll be better off if we get McDaniels and a reasonable dem Senator from KY than if we're stuck with McConnell and Cocharan.

[sport]

I think that Mitch is in for a rude awakening.I saw some post that read that he only won his last election by 6 points. If that is the case, it is within the Democrat margin for stealing.

[ken5050]

FYI..according to this story on National Review... Mike Lee is helping McDaniel's campaign

Might explain why Mitch is nervous..Could this be the first shot in Lee's campaign for majority leader????

One can hope...

[88keys]

Interesting comments here...I'll add my own two cents, from Ohio!

IMHO, it's rather unbecoming for McConnell to take sides in the Mississippi run-off, but he can if he wants to.

The Kentucky Republican primary is settled, period, and by a rather significant amount in favor of McConnell, like it or not. Since Kentucky is not a reliably concervative state, a write-in campaign for Bevin or a "no vote" protest against McConnell would most likely result in whoever the Democrat nominee is being elected. This doesn't seem helpful.

OTOH, Mississippi IS a reliably conservative state, and if McDaniel wins the run-off, he will very likely be elected in the general election, despite any McConnell supporters withholding support or protest voting for the Democrat (which I doubt they would do, but you never know!). This IS helpful, and personally, I hope that's what happens!

Attributed to W. F. Buckley (paraphrased): "I will always vote for the most conservative candidate that can win."

In a state-wide election, it seems prudent to consider that. It's perhaps better to hold your nose than cut it off...JMHO.

[nikos1121]

Lot easier to have more leverage over them once we win the Senate.

[nikos1121]

OUr candidates need to bring us all together. Not an easy thing to do, but we need to band together and beat the democrats.

[88keys]

"We'll be better off if we get McDaniels and a reasonable dem Senator from KY than if we're stuck with McConnell and Cocharan."

"A reasonable dem Senator" is a pretty big "if", isn't it?!

I would think the best-case scenario would be keep McConnell, elect McDaniel instead of Cochran, and "expect" McConnell to just step aside as Leader, for whatever reasons...

[nikos1121]

Romney was not my choice, but once he won the nomination I supported him, and I think he would have made a great president, in fact I think any one with some fiscal conservativsm will turn this country back on track.

I want a trifecta, House, Senate and the WH. We don’t do that over night.

[Pearls Before Swine]

Bigger statement: Vote for the Democrat.

Ultimate statement: Set yourself afire in protest.

What I mean by that, is that the GOP sux less than the Dems, and the least worst is the best choice at the moment. Longer term, I'd like to see a third, truly conservative party, emerge at state and local levels. But that's only a possible future, and we have to deal with the now. A Dem protest vote is like honorable suicide. So sorry.

[88keys]

Correction to post 53: any Cochran supporters withholding support for McDaniel in the Mississippi general election

[Viennacon]

I sincerely hope McConnell loses to Grimes. What a disgusting man.